By Tom Gilson (Associate Editor, Against the Grain, and Head of Reference Emeritus, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29401)
The International Encyclopedia of Political Science (2011, 978-1412959636, $1,095) is a new eight-volume set published by Sage and is a major undertaking developed in partnership with the International Political Science Association. As such, well-respected scholars Bertrand Badie, Institut d’etudes politiques Paris, France; Dirk Berg-Schlosser, Philipps-Universitat Marburg, Germany; and Leonardo Morlino, LUISS Guido Carli were enlisted to serve as general editors. They and the publishers have set an ambitious goal of covering “every field of politics from political theory and methodology to political sociology, comparative politics, public policies, and international relations.” In order to meet this demanding challenge, an international cast of scholars was gathered drawing particularly from Europe and the United States. The overall results are impressive.
Although the Encyclopedia mentions events and people, for the most part it is not about them. The focus is on key ideas and concepts as well as the numerous “aspects of political life” that make up the study of political science globally. Specifically, there are articles on topics as different as Anarchy and the Rule of Law; Electoral Behavior and Military Rule; Colonialism and Nationalist Movements; Monetary Relations and Social Class; Stalinism and Theories of Democracy; and Street Level Bureaucracy and Monarchy. There are also individual articles that cover gender, race, and ethnic concerns, those that explore both qualitative and quantitative methods of research; and those that discuss the impacts of various religions on political life.
While some non-scholars may find it of interest, this set is not intended for a lay audience. All of the articles are grounded in serious research and informed by the literature of the discipline. Although there are a few tables and charts included, the articles are text rich and dense. Nonetheless, they will be accessible to undergraduate majors not to mention graduate students and faculty. As you would expect, each entry has a useful bibliography and relevant “see also” references. In addition, there is a Reader’s Guide that organizes articles by broad topic to assist researchers.
The International Encyclopedia of Political Science offers the reader informed and well researched discussions of the ideas, concepts, and theories that lie at the foundation of the discipline. It also touches on the international aspects of the various topics covered as well as in specific entries like those on Balance of Power, Alliances, Genocide, Multilateralism and International Trade. As such, this title is an ideal companion to Sage’s more U.S. focused Encyclopedia of Political Science (2010, 978-1933116440, $800). Academic libraries that support strong political science curriculums will want this new title in their collection.
Excerpt from the "Reference Desk", In Against the Grain, Vol.23, No.6 (Dec 2011-Jan 2012).
